Rotary toy



Dec. 18, 1962v v. BuLEcKI ROTARY TOY Filed Feb. 2s, 1962 |NVENTOR.

MUM Edv/J5? L United States Patent OiiticeA 3,069,160 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,069,160 ROTARY TOY l Victor Bulecki, CauadiauResearchand Development Foundation, 1434 Queen St. W., New Toronto 3, Ontario, Canada Filed Feb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 175,367 5 Claims. (Cl. 272-33) This invention relates to playground or recreation room toys, and more particularly to rotary toys adapted to both amuse and teach children muscular coordination and balance control.

Present toys of this nature, although requiring muscular coordination and balance control, are restricted to a backwards and forwards linear motion and are rather heavy and substantially non-portable. They also require a fairly large play area in which to be used.

The conventional rotary swing found in recreation centres and parks is generally of a heavy construction and requires at least two, and in many cases, several children to operate it electively. Also, such swings are of a standard size, this making them unsuitable for very small children and even dangerous in certain cases where older children build up .a speed on the swing which is in excess of speeds suitable for very small children. Again, these conventional rotary swings are not suitable for solo operation, and a child attempting to operate them by himself soon loses interest.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rotary playground or recreation room toy, hereinafter referred to as a rotary toy, that will both teach a child muscular coordination and balance control and enable the child to operate it without the aid of other children.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rotary toy that requires practice on the part of a child to become proficient in its operation, thereby maintaining a childs interest.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rotary toy that is simple in design and sufficiently robust in construction to withstand normal usage and safe in operation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a rotary toy that can be adjusted to accommodate the physical capabilities of children ranging from the very young and small to the older and larger.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a rotary toy that is readily collapsible and portable, occupying a minimum of space and suitable for use either indoors or outside.

These and other objects and featuresof this invention will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a rotary toy embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a mid-Vertical, sectional side elevation of the rotary toy illustrated in FIG. 1.v

Referring to FIGS. l and 2, a rotary toy comprises a Vertical tube 11 having at its upper extremity 12 a transverse holding handle 13 detachably attached thereto. The opposite end 14 of tube 11 is slidably located in a vertical tubular housing 15, the tubular housing 15 having a plurality of diametrical holes -16 formed therethrough in vertical spaced apart relationship. Tubular housing 15 terminates in a flange 17 and carries ball race 18 around the periphery thereof, the lower surface of said ball race 18 being shouldered against flange 17.

The outer race 13a of ball race 18 is retained within a base unit 119. Base unit 19 is substantially frustocylindrical in configuration, having an angularly disposed upper end face 20.

The undersurface 19a of base unit 19 is horizontal 'when in use and is rigidly attached to ai substantially rectangular base plate 21. A

A stirrup unit 22 comprising a cross bar 30 having its ends 25 shaped in the form of footrests is pivoted cen trally to housing 15 about a pivot pin 23. Cross bar 30 is adapted to move in a vertical plane, substantially coplanar with the axis of housing 15.

A roller unit 24 is mounted on the underside of each end 25 of stirrup unit 22. Roller units 24 bear on a track plate 26 formed on the upper surface 20 of base unit 19,-the stirrup unit 22 aligning itself parallel to said track plate 26.

In use, handle 13 may be adjusted to a convenient height by the tubular member 11 being telescopically adjustable within tubular housing 15 by means yof a retaining pin 27 passing through a selected hole 16 and through a similar hole, not shown, formed through the lower end of tube A1.1. In this manner, toy 10 may be adapted to children of varying heights. Upon operating the rotary toy 10, a child grasps handle 13 and places his feet on the footrests 25 of stirrup unit 22. By placing his weight on the highest foot, the particular roller unit 24 attached to the affected end 25 of stirrup unit 22 is caused to move downwardly and traverse the angularly disposed track plate 26. At the same time, the opposite foot is carried to the highest position, whereupon the weight may be shifted to said foot and, in this manner, a child, by a coordination of leg and arm muscles and balance may circle around the base plate 21 indefinitely.

The general design of the individual parts of the invention as explained above may be varied according to requirements in regards to manufacture and production thereof, while still remaining within the spirit and principle of the invention, without prejudicing the novelty thereof.

The embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property o'r privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A rotary t-oy including a horizontal base member; a substantially vertical support member axially rotatable upon said base member; an upper surface of said base member on an inclined plane; a stirrup assembly pivotally attached'to said support member and movable in a vertical plane; opposite ends of said stirrup assembly delining footrests; and anti-friction means interposed between and supporting said footrests upon said upper surface.

2. A rotary toy as defined in claim 1 including handle means attached to the upper end of said vertical support member.

3. A rotary toy as defined in claim l in which said vertical support member includes a lower support tube having an open upper end and a flanged lower end; bearing means retaining said lower end Within said base member in axially rotatable relation therewith; an upper support tube having its lower end insertable within the upper end of said lower support tube; selective means for retaining said lower end of said upper support tube in said lower support tube; and handle means attached to the upper end of said upper support tube.

4. A rotary toy as dened in claim 1 in which said anti-friction means includes a roller unit rotatably located under each of said footrests; and an annular track plate integral with said upper surface of said base member forming a support track for said rollers.

5. A rotary toy including a horizontal base member; a

3 4 means attached to the upper end of said vertical support each of said footrests; and an annular track plate integral member; said vertical support member including a lower with said upper surface of said base member forming a support tube having an open upper end and a flanged support track for said rollers. lower end; bearing means retaining said lower end within said base member in axially rotatable relation therewith; 5 References Cited H1 the me 0f hlS Piltent an upper support tube having its `lower end insertable UNITED STATES PATENTS Within the upper end of said lower support tube; selective means for retaining said lower end of said upper (1x3/13g; ig support tube 1n sald lower support tube; said anti-frictlon 2.8471217 Adams et al Aug' 12 1958 means including a roller unit rotatably located under 10 

